New-millennium NRA Show to boost tech, education offerings

Nation's Restaurant News, May 8, 2000 by Gregg Cebrzynski

Equipment and remodeling were the leading capital-expenditure categories for restaurant operators in 1999, and that trend is likely to continue this year, according to the National Restaurant Association's 2000 "Restaurant Industry Forecast."

While operators are pondering capital improvements, they're also worrying about finding qualified and motivated employees, and looking for ways to keep them, the forecast shows.

In addition to those concerns, food safety and new products are still top-of-mind issues with restaurant operators. So is are questions about how to market successfully in a fragmented world.

Whatever their interests are, attendees of the 2000 NRA Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show, set for May 20-23 in Chicago, are likely to find a vendor or educational program to address their needs.

The show is billed as "A Global Summit & Exposition." Its goal is to bring together industry leaders from around the world to tackle the challenges of the global marketplace.

For the first time, each day will have a specific theme to spotlight different aspects of the foodservice industry. Sunday, May 21, has been designated as "Government Affairs & State Relations Day," with two 90-minute sessions scheduled in a town-meeting format. Leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties have been invited to discuss issues affecting the foodservice industry.

Because it is the first NRA show of the new millennium, attendees are expected to discover how the industry will evolve in the coming years.

"What people are going to see at this show is where the future of the restaurant industry will be in the coming century," says NRA president and chief executive Steven Anderson. "Because of that, what you'll see are exhibits that relate to technology. That this industry will be driven by technology will be readily apparent."

Thirteen e-commerce companies will exhibit their products at the show for the first time. Among them is cEverything, a San Francisco-based firm that recently hired foodservice veteran Glenn Bacheller as chief executive. Bacheller's most recent position was president of smoothie chain Jamba Juice, and he also had been chief executive of Noah's Bagels and president of Baskin-Robbins. cEverything provides broadband management applications to small businesses.

Also new to the show is Instill Corp., which provides online links between more than 7,000 foodservice outlets and their primary distributors. It also hired an industry veteran for a key role when it chose Anthony Wilson, formerly senior vice president of purchasing and procurement at Sodexho Marriott Services, as president.

During the NRA Show, Instill is scheduled to debut its new Foodscape.com Web service center for independent restaurateurs.

Other e-commerce companies at the show include FSbuy.com, which provides Web-based, value-oriented applications for the foodservice industry; CommKitchen.com, an on-line source of commercial foodservice equipment and supplies; and Menus.com, which works with restaurants to make their marketing efforts more effective.

"If anybody has the misperception that the restaurant industry is a stodgy industry," Anderson says, "they will not find that at this show. We are on the cutting edge of a new economic world."

Operators whose capital expenditures will focus on remodeling will be invited to attend a seminar titled "Put Award-Winning Design Ideas to Work For You," one of numerous educational programs at the show. For the first time, the programs will take place on all four show days.

"We're providing hands-on training and take-away tools with advice on how to move forward," says Ellen Nash, vice president of communications for the NRA Educational Foundation.

The foundation will preview new ServSafe food-safety training products, which include an enhanced employee guide, employee examination, manager certification CD-ROM, an introduction to food safety on CD-ROM, and six videos that reflect the latest FDA model food code.

The foundation also will present new products in its Workplace Safety Program, including a CD-ROM introduction to workplace safety and three training videos.

Two other programs address safety concerns in the workplace. "Hepatitis A: Is Your Business At Risk?" will explore how to protect against the food-borne illness. "Hand Washing vs. Glove Usage: Still a Hot Topic" will address how some solutions may not be practical in "real world" applications.

Two programs will deal with operator concerns about employee retention. "How to Radically Improve Retention and High Performance in a Tight Job Market" is designed to show how operators can reduce annual turnover to 20 percent or less. "Retention[ldots] The Battleground," will review organizational initiatives that can improve retention.

A number of programs dealing with employee training are scheduled during the show. "Investing in Your Employees" will explore how coaching and teaching employees can enhance their commitment and improve retention levels. "Training for Bottom Line Results" will present new technologies designed to streamline training programs and improve the guest experience.